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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · bulb · cabinet · board · jam · prune · wake · dip

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — a trail
  5. board — to get on
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. hand — help
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com